“Leisure behaviours are evolving; digital tech is making media a more central part of leisure time while also making it easier to enjoy leisurely activities during work time.
Meanwhile, market factors are driving a shift from out-of-home to in-home leisure time – creating a major threat for the former and sparking growth opportunities for the latter.”
– Scott Stewart, Associate Director, Lifestyles & Retail
This Report looks at the following areas:
- Recent leisure activities.
- The at-home leisure activities consumers would engage in if they had more free time.
- The out-of-home leisure activities consumers would engage in if they had more time.
- How leisure behaviours have changed compared to a year ago.
- The role of technology and media in leisure activities.
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Overview
- What you need to know
- This Report looks at the following areas
- Definition
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Consumer trends
- Media is at the centre of at-home leisure
- Out-of-home leisure is losing ground to in-home leisure
- Leisure behaviours vary significantly across demographic groups
- Competitive strategies
- Brands strategically associate themselves with leisure activities
- Figure 1: Nespresso Instagram post, 2023
- Out-of-home leisure stakeholders are demonstrating value
- Figure 2: Toronto Blue Jays Twitter post, 2022
- Market predictions
- Out-of-home leisure will continue to lose ground to in-home
- Figure 3: Category outlook: leisure trends, 2023-28
- Opportunities
- Multitasking and ‘piggybacking’ means white space opportunity
- Many consumers want to feel like their leisure time was productive
- Parents prioritize time with their kids
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The Market – By the Numbers
- At-home leisure expenditures are above pre-pandemic levels
- Figure 4: Household consumption expenditure at current prices, Q4 2019 vs Q4 2022
- Figure 5: Full-service restaurants monthly sales at current prices, 2019-22
- At-home leisure expenditures are above pre-pandemic levels
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Market Factors
- Economic trends impact leisure preferences
- External factors continue to squeeze Canadians’ budgets
- Some consumers are worse off than last year, but many are stable
- Figure 6: Financial situation compared to a year ago, 2023
- COVID-19 remains a factor that can impact leisure activities
- Figure 7: Concern about exposure to COVID-19, 2020-22
- Canadians are returning to workplaces, but remote work remains common
- Figure 8: Working location, 2021 and 2022
- Opportunities arising from this shift
- Stress and anxiety are common; leisure time can help
- Figure 9: Factors that contribute to stress, 2023
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- Figure 10: Reasons for feeling in control of personal health, 2023
- Economic trends impact leisure preferences
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Competitive Strategies
- Brands drive usage by associating themselves with leisure time
- Figure 11: Nespresso Instagram post, 2023
- Figure 12: Beats by Dre Instagram post, 2022
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- Figure 13: Lays Instagram post, 2023
- Toronto Blue Jays offer bulk value to attract more fans
- Figure 14: Toronto Blue Jays Twitter post, 2022
- Netflix’s crackdown on sharing will cause some Canadians to adapt
- Figure 15: Netflix Canada Twitter post, 2023
- Parents’ leisure time is focused on their children
- Figure 16: Mattel Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 17: Boston Pizza Canada Instagram post, 2023
- Brands drive usage by associating themselves with leisure time
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Leisure Trends – Fast Facts
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Leisure Activities
- Canadians have many ways to spend their free time
- Figure 18: Leisure activities done in the past six months, 2023
- Age and gender are key factors in how consumers spend their spare time
- Figure 19: Leisure activities done in the past six months, by age, 2023
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- Figure 20: Leisure activities done in the past six months, men vs women, 2023
- Leisure time can be productive
- Figure 21: “Productive” leisure activities done in the past six months, by living situation, 2023
- Regional and racial skews are evident, indicating cultural differences in leisure
- Figure 22: “Productive” leisure activities done in the past six months, overall vs Quebec by language spoken at home, 2023
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- Figure 23: “Productive” leisure activities done in the past six month, overall vs Chinese, South Asian and Black/African Canadian, 2023
- Relaxing, in-home leisure is still common
- Figure 24: “In-home” leisure activities in the past six months, moms vs dads and overall, 2023
- Out-of-home leisure activities skew to younger Canadians
- Figure 25: “Out-of-home” leisure activities done in the past six months, by age, 2023
- These outings are susceptible to economy-level trends
- Figure 26: “Out-of-home” leisure activities done in the past six months, by expected change in financial situation in 12 months, 2023
- Leisure activities overlap and create opportunities
- Figure 27: Leisure activities done in the past six months, overall vs consumers who have gardened for leisure in the past six months, 2023
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- Figure 28: Juliet Sear Instagram post, 2019
- Figure 29: Leisure activities done in the past six months, overall vs consumers who have gone to a movie theatre in the past six months, 2023
- Canadians have many ways to spend their free time
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Preferred At-home Leisure Activities
- Media plays a central role in at-home leisure
- Figure 30: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home, 2023
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- Figure 31: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: media, by age, 2023
- Moms and dads have different, potentially conflicting ways of spending their free time
- Figure 32: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: media, moms vs dads, 2023
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- Figure 33: BDI Furniture Instagram post, 2022
- South Asian Canadians are an important audience for streaming platforms
- Figure 34: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: media, overall vs South Asian Canadians, 2023
- Reading, chores and naps show that not all free time is digital
- Helping busy Canadians find more time for leisure
- Figure 35: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: books, chores and naps, men vs women, 2023
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- Figure 36: Indigo, Chapters and Coles Facebook post, 2023
- Parents want to spend time with their kids
- Figure 37: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: spend time with my kids, parents by age of children in household, 2023
- Media plays a central role in at-home leisure
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Preferred Out-of-home Leisure Activities
- Time away from home can be leisurely or productive
- Figure 38: Most likely to do with more free time away from home, 2023
- Leisurely out-of-home activities are prime opportunities for consumer expenditures
- Travel skews to married people without kids, but is low for dads and French Canadians
- Figure 39: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: travel, by marital and parental status, 2023
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- Figure 40: Via Rail Canada Instagram post, 2023
- Figure 41: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: travel, overall vs Quebec English and French speakers, 2023
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- Figure 42: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: travel, overall vs parents by gender, 2023
- Relaxing activities can resonate with financially stressed Canadians
- Figure 43: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: relaxing activities, by finances compared to a year ago, expected finances in 12 months and concerns about rising prices/inflation, 2023
- Struggling restaurants could benefit from targeting older Canadians
- Figure 44: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: dine in at restaurants, by age, 2023
- Family outings are important to parents
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- Figure 45: Espace pour la vie Facebook post, 2023
- Time away from home can be productive
- Men more likely to exercise, work and improve skills; women more likely to shop in their free time
- Figure 46: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: productive activities, men vs women, 2023
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- Figure 47: F45 Training Instagram post, 2023
- Figure 48: Chang School TMU Instagram post, 2021
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- Figure 49: HomeSense Instagram post, 2022
- Productive leisure time is more interesting to younger Canadians
- Figure 50: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: productive activities, by age, 2023
- Time away from home can be leisurely or productive
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Changes in Leisure Activities
- Canadians are spending more time at home
- Figure 51: Doing more of compared to a year ago, 2023
- Food and entertainment see the biggest shifts
- Figure 52: Activities compared to a year ago: food and entertainment, 2023
- People who are struggling financially are the most likely to spend more time at home
- Figure 53: Doing more compared to a year ago: cooking and watching TV/movies at home, by financial situation, 2023
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- Figure 54: Doing less of compared to a year ago: dining in at restaurants and going to movie theatres, by financial situation, 2023
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- Figure 55: The Keg Steakhouse Instagram post, 2023
- South Asian and Black/African Canadians are cooking/watching more at home
- Figure 56: Doing more of compared to a year ago: cooking and watching TV/movies at home, overall vs Chinese, South Asian and Black/African Canadians, 2023
- Canadians are cutting expenditure more than Americans
- Figure 57: Spending over the past 12 months: food in restaurants, Canada vs USA, 2023
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- Figure 58: Spending over the past 12 months: leisure/entertainment, Canada vs USA, 2023
- Other types of outings are seeing a decline, too
- Figure 59: Doing less of compared to a year ago, 2023
- Shopping mall declines could indicate a longer-term shift in behaviours
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- Figure 60: Activities compared to a year ago: going to shopping malls, by generation, 2023
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- Figure 61: Yorkdale Style Instagram post, 2023
- Exercise trends have been less drastic than other leisure activities
- Figure 62: Activities compared to a year ago: exercising, 2023
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- Figure 63: Sportchek Instagram post, 2023
- Figure 64: Northern Fitness Instagram post, 2022
- Younger consumers are the most likely to be exercising more
- Figure 65: Doing more of compared to a year ago: exercising, by age, 2023
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- Figure 66: Fabletics Instagram post, 2023
- Canadians are spending more time at home
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Tech and Media in Leisure
- Tech is a leisure time fixture for most consumers
- Younger Canadians are the most likely to stay connected
- Figure 67: Tech usage during leisure time (% agree), by age, 2023
- Multicultural consumers are more likely to multitask with tech and media
- Figure 68: Tech usage during leisure time (% agree), overall vs Chinese, South Asian and Black/African Canadians, 2023
- Content creation is a leisure activity for some Canadians
- Younger Canadians are driving this trend
- Figure 69: “I create content in my free time” (% agree), by age, 2023
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- Figure 70: “I create content in my free time” (% agree), by age and gender, 2023
- How to capitalize on this leisure trend
- There’s an opportunity to swing the pendulum the other way
- Figure 71: Petit St. Vincent Instagram post, 2023
- Tech is a leisure time fixture for most consumers
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Mintel Trend Drivers
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Data sources
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